5 Exciting Auction House Sales

CirCa-1777 Cylinder Bureau By David Roentgen

Sold at Christie’s, “The Exceptional Sale” (London, July 4)
This exquisite item set a new auction record for Roentgen, the innovative 18th-century German cabinetmaker. Several similar bureaus were showcased recently at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in an exhibition devoted to his creations (and those of his father, Abraham). Enlivened by intricate marquetry and ormolu mounts, the desk exemplifies Roentgen’s hallmark sophisticated construction, with a series of secret drawers and a rolltop front that recedes as the retractable writing surface is extended. It realized $791,000, within its estimate of $606,000–$908,000.

Photo courtesy of Christie's

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Red Side Right (Right Side Red), 1965, By Jack Bush

Sold at Christie’s, “First Open: Summer Edition” (New York, July 17)
In an extraordinary moment, four rare “sash” canvases by the Canadian color-field painter appeared on the block at this sale of postwar and contemporary art. (All came from the collection of crooner Andy Williams.) While each far exceeded expectations, this 67" x 81" piece stole the spotlight, achieving $500,000 (ten times its high estimate) and setting a new auction record for Bush. “Nothing of this scale, provenance, and condition ever comes up,” says Christie’s specialist Saara Pritchard, noting that interest in Bush’s work is on the rise due to a forthcoming catalogue raisonné and a planned 2014 retrospective at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

Photo courtesy of Christie's

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Circa-1954 Giardino Settecentesco wardrobe By Piero Fornasetti

Sold at Phillips, “Design” (New York, June 11)
Fornasetti created this one-of-a-kind treasure for his own bedroom at his family’s Lake Como villa. Crafted of transfer-printed wood and embellished with brass, the 78.5"-tall piece is especially noteworthy for its striking gold-and-black landscape decoration—a pattern unused outside the lake house except in the case of a limited-edition folding screen. Bidding sailed past the $70,000 high estimate, culminating in a hammer price of $145,000.

Photo courtesy of Phillips

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1928 Mercedes-Benz 680s Torpedo Roadster

Sold at RM Auctions, “Monterey Sale” (Monterey, California, August 16–17)
Last year this handsome Mercedes-Benz roadster wowed audiences at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, winning the prestigious Best in Show title. That honor is just one of many bestowed upon the automobile, which represents the pinnacle of 1920s coach-building and recently underwent a complete restoration. Naturally, collectors greeted the vehicle’s arrival at auction with considerable excitement. Expected to fetch upwards of $6 million, it sold for $7.5 million.

Photo courtesy of RM Auctions

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1968 Flower Pot Wall Lamp by Verner Panton

Sold at Wright, “Mass Modern” (Chicago, July 13)
Pedigreed pieces could be had for a steal at the auction house’s annual summer sale of vintage mass-produced furnishings, all of which were offered without reserve. Take, for instance, this exuberant light fixture, a wall-mounted iteration of a well-known and much-coveted Panton design for Louis Poulsen, the venerable Danish manufacturer. Reminiscent of a weeping flower, with an arching arm and budlike shade, the enameled-steel lamp exhibited only minor wear on its vibrant surface. Some lucky bidder snatched it up for $279, a fraction of the $900–$1,200 estimate.